How I spent my first day of the 48-hour book challenge
Um . . . .
I read a book a few days ago about how we all have both The Tyrant and The Rebel inside us, and one is more dominant than the other, but it always triggers the other one.
Tyrant: Fabulous. A contest. A competition. Mother Reader says we’re all reading as much as we can for 48 hours straight, so go, go, go!
Rebel: I need to return 13 Going on 30 to the video store this morning.
Tyrant: So do it, get your Starbucks on the way, then plant your little tush right down and read your eyeballs off. Now move!
Rebel: I really love 13 Going on 30.
Tyrant: Yeah, whatever. Get your keys.
[Driving now. Bear in back. He likes the Starbucks drivethru because the people poke their heads out the service window and like to talk to him and he goes ape-you-know-what and barks at them and we all laugh at what a goof he is and I drive away.]
Tyrant: You forgot the movie.
Rebel: Yeah, well I didn’t really forget. I’ll take it back later. I just need to do one thing . . .
[2 hours later, having rewatched the entire movie with the producers' commentary track on. SO satisfying. Cried once again at the end. Love Mark Ruffalo so much in that scene in the bedroom right before his wedding. Then the ending? Slay me. Blubber, blubber, blubber.]
Tyrant: Okay, now. Let’s do it. We’ll clock it from here. 48 hours. You have to report in tomorrow. Don’t embarrass me.
[Several hours later, having hung out with the nephew and watched Superman Returns. Eh. Couldn't get into Kate Bosworth's dyed hair. Or how plastic Superman looked in that opening scene where he saves the plane. It's like his whole face was CGI-ed. Did they mean for him to look so fake? Plus they really needed to give the little boy a haircut. It reminded me of Nicholas on the old Eight is Enough--for heaven's sake, would you please take a razor to that boy's head and stop with the bowl cut?]
And now, all you gentle readers out there who are actually doing what you’re supposed to by reading books and not the blog right now, I am finally ready to settle down and crack a book. But thanks to Mother Reader’s generous rules, the fact that I slacked today is no crime, because I can start counting my 48 hours from here. Ha! And I saw over on HipWriterMama’s blog that she started at 9:00 PM, too. Ha!
So here’s my official start now. No more rebellion. I actually want to read a lot, a lot, a lot.
But I’ve promised The Rebel we’ll do a 48-hour movie marathon when this is over. Sweet! Let’s do it!
Technorati Tags: 48-Hour Book Challenge, 48-Hour Reading Challenge, 13 Going on 30, Nicholas’ Hair on Eight Is Enough
June 8th, 2007 at 9:38 pm
I wish I could read for 48 hours straight this weekend or any 48 hour period, but being out of town all last week working set me back on the unpacking and house setting-up and we are getting a little desperate to find things. I’ve already had to go out to buy things we needed that I know we already have but can’t find the box they are in. I did just read the directions for attaching a garbage bag holder to my under the sink cabinet and did read the directions on how to use the drill, but I’ll never make the 48 hour total. I’m also solely tempted right now to run out and rent 13 Going on 30 as I have never seen it.
June 8th, 2007 at 11:20 pm
I’m neither the Rebel nor the Tyrant. I’m the runner who sprained her ankle in the first 1/4 of the race! Aiee, and all the training I’ve done all these years…
It’s actually liberating to drop out now and realize how wretchedly hard it was to do the challenge and potty-train a 4 year old.
On the positive side, I’ve preordered your book. I’d love an autographed bookplate when it’s finally released. Even better, you come to Seattle and sign it for me! Yeah, that’s the better option.
June 8th, 2007 at 11:20 pm
Sign it on a book tour, I mean.
June 9th, 2007 at 5:46 am
Alkelda, I’d love to sign your book! Thanks for ordering it. Very sweet. I’m hoping to come back to Seattle as part of a fall tour, so let’s see what’s up then.
Deborah, you would be SO happy with a two-hour 13 Going on 30 break. Just trust me on this. Go. Rent. It. Today. Then report back, please.
June 9th, 2007 at 6:00 am
Oh, and good luck with the potty training! Maybe your little girl has a Tyrant inside of her saying, “You will learn this!” Just think how much easier life will be once you get past this training stage. Sorry there’s no fast-forward button.
June 9th, 2007 at 7:39 am
Okay, I guess I’ll have to rent 13 going on 30 now. I was going on a total dissing Jennifer Garner faze after she went and left her sweet hubby and for Ben Affleck. I LOVED Alias before Vaughn was written off, then had to stop watching it after that. So sad.
I never watched 13 going on 30, because it sounded so lame and I wasn’t sure whether Jennifer Garner could pull off a movie. So if you’re saying it’s that good, I’ll take a chance.
And by the way, I finished one book and checked out other people’s blogs on their progress. One blogger has already read 5 books! I started the first chapter of book 2 last night. I know I won’t get around to reading the rest until tonight. Oh well, at least I’m reading, right?
June 9th, 2007 at 7:41 am
Vivan, please be my friend on this. I’m looking at my schedule this weekend, and I really think I’m only going to have time to finish one book. So keep saying things like, “Oh well, at least I’m reading, right?” Okay?
June 9th, 2007 at 10:26 am
I enjoyed 13 Going On 30, by the way. It would be a good pairing with the book Queen Bees and Wannabees (I checked out “Mean Girls” but then I couldn’t bear to watch it).
June 9th, 2007 at 10:30 am
Alkelda, I agree Mean Girls was hard to watch. I saw it all the way through, but I don’t need to see it again. I’m sure there are girls like that in real life, but I don’t need to spend any more time with them.
June 9th, 2007 at 12:29 pm
My “guy” credentials may be at risk for this one, but I too rather enjoyed 13 Going on 30. Didn’t think I would, but it was a lot of fun.
While I won’t go so far as needing to watch it repeatedly, I definitely second (third? fourth?) the recommendation.
June 9th, 2007 at 12:37 pm
Bill, we all know it takes a man who’s secure in his own masculinity to admit he enjoyed a chick flick. Your credentials are solid.
June 9th, 2007 at 3:38 pm
Okay, okay. I’ll rent the movie. We went to see Shrek III today. Laughed out loud but not as funny as I and II. I think I had too many expectations.
June 10th, 2007 at 8:08 pm
Vivian, I’m glad you got some laughs out of it. I haven’t seen it yet but probably will. Don’t you hate when you’re so excited for a movie, and it just hurts your feelings by being so bad? A Series of Unfortunate Events, Legally Blonde II, Bridget Jones II, the list goes on.
June 11th, 2007 at 2:40 am
After seeing Spiderman III and Pirates of the Caribbean III and being very disappointed, my teenaged son dreamed that he went to see the Fantastic Four sequel. “How was it?” I said. “The first ten minutes were fart jokes,” he said. “So we got up and left.”
Here’s hoping the real sequel is much better!
June 11th, 2007 at 11:48 pm
Well, I managed TWO whole books (hey, Napoleon Dynamite was on) in 48 hours but one of them was About Evolution, Me & Other Freaks of Nature. I enjoyed it so much, especially all the LOTR references. When Josh said, “Man flesh!” I laughed out loud which was bad because it was after midnight and someone very near and dear to me had to get up and go to work today. oops.
I want my daughter to meet Casey. He isn’t real by chance, is he?
Thank you for a very enjoyable read. The book really touched my heart.
June 12th, 2007 at 6:26 am
Camille, what a nice surprise! Sometimes I just have no idea who has my ARCs. Thank you for laughing out loud at “Man flesh.” That line gets me every time. And I, too, love Casey so much. He is my dream boy.
Thanks for your kind words about my book. That really makes my day.